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June 22, 1969 – Judy Garland dies

On this day in 1969, actress and singer Judy Garland dies of an overdose of sleeping pills. Garland began performing as a child and became one of America’s most loved stars when she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939).

She made more than 200 films with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and had a wildly successful recording career, becoming the first woman to win a Grammy for Album of the Year. She began using amphetamines to combat a weight problem during her teens and became dependent on drugs and alcohol, which undermined her career.